Daily Republican., 1887-07-15
ONE OFTHE HEROEs.
Lynn K. Meek lns' Address.

Lynn x. Meekins' Address.
And now We come to another Ameri.
can who should be enshrired as one OF
the heroes Of the century. His name Is
j. A. MacGAhau. Like many other
great men he was from Ohio. He went
to Europe 70 complete bis collegiate
studies. The Franco Pruseian war
broke out. He entered the field as Q
correspondent. He did good work, and
when the var cloeed he WAS In Journal
Ism for life. He visited Siberia and
described It's life. Information reached
him that Gan. Kaafman aDd the Gsaod
Dake Nichclas were about to make an
assault on Khiva Il was Russia's
boldest move to ward India. He deter
mined to witness 10. He hurritd sonth,
but missed the moving column. Then
he prepared tor what proved TO be ono
o.! the most daring rides ever made by
man. 1t was D journey of 600 miles
through silent desolatiou, with 800
miles OF desert. Many times he lest
hts way. several times he and his
men we're prostrated By the heat aud
thrown upon the sande, only to be re.
| vived by the coming OF night. But de
spite the loss OF horses, despite the
daily rebellion OF his attendants. despite
frt Quent exhaustion and semi starya
tion for nearly two months. ho pushed
through the arid wastes. All through
that region be was called "Molodyety"
"A brave fellow.
After he had started, the Russians
wanted him hack. Twenty i've Cos.
sacks, splendid horsemeD, were dit
patched to ovsrtake him. For nearly
900 miles thty chased him ACROSS that
terrible country, but when they arrived
at o hating place they always found
that MacGah an had left 1t few hcura
bsftre. The peop!e even laughed ut the
idea OF their trying to catch such q
brave fellow as the young American.
Nay, mere, they went so far as to put
MacGahan's lursuers off the track aud
In the town from which they started,
tho o. tmi,a.ion for tho correspondence
pluck was 90 great that o celebration
was arranged to welcome him should
he be over saken and brought back. But
he was not overtaken.
He had started for Khivs, and tt
Khiva hs would 90. He entered ths
Russian camp q specter Of himself. OF
ticers stopped In the midet OF battle t
express their admiration. He had ou'
chance in hundred Of getting through
that desert alive. He accepted il, ant
he not only won but he eluded the Cos
sacks. He saw Khiva taken. HI wal
one OF the first to enter its portals, ant
hts description OF 1t and the tiigh
stands on record as o masterpiece OF II
kind.
Why did he risk his life In this way
Every step he took, every pound O
flesh hs los,-aud he lost nearly all @
twas for one purpose, and one oDl,
to get the news, TO reach Khiva, to 10.
before the world the story OF Russia
frst step toward India
ANOTHER ACHIEVEMENT.
Nor WAS this his last achievement
In the spring Of 1875 he was Ia London
Picking up u paper be read q brief die
patch telling OF the Turkish massacr
In Bulgaria. He saw the tremendou
importance OF the item, In an hour h
had arranged TO 60 TO Bulgaria. II
hurried to the scene of the crimes. II
painted them In master strokes. II
pictured the dead girls In the pillage
towns. he went everywhere, cheerin
the people, assisting them, pleadin
their Cause with his psn, telling then
that the Gear would avenge tho on,
rage, and bidding them to take couI
age In thirty days he changed tn
whole mplexion OF European politicl
His letters we're the sensation Of th
world. Bsaoonsfsld. the friend OF th
Turk, arose in the House of Com mOnl
and denounced them as fa1.e; he hs
, Off cial denials telegraphed from Co
stautinople
But Mace ahan rode on and wro'e O
until the Russian army crossed II
Pruth, and then, attached 10 the staff
the commanding Off Ger, he " ent throu {
the FIRE and smoke, Writing his sp'end
descriptio In the midst of hattie; fgh
l ing and laughing and writing, and els
, | tfifytng the world by words he plac,
= on the telegrap wires. He saw Pievn
, fall; he was wounded In Sohlpka Pas
he saw all the big events OF the wa
f, When Iguatief drew the famous treat
at San Stefano, he said that 1t wou
not stand, and he lived to see 1t torn u
1 and laughed Mt. He never N ade a pr
diction that WAS not fulfilled. n
charge except the futile denial by Di
: raeli, was ever made against his vera
J. ity. No man in Europe enjoyed
q higher esteem and reepect than he di
Il And when, nine years ago last Thur
day, q swift fever carried him boy Oh
all earthly wars, the Russian, Gsner
Skobeleff, close his eyes and shed tea
: ut his grave. The Ohio Legislature hs
K his remains removed to his nati'
s State. When the Grand Duke Niohol
y heard Of his death he said: "Too bs
It He would have been governor Of Bulg
q ria" " And rs regularly as the 9th
n June comes, every hamlet, every Y
q lage, every city Of Bulgaria commem
| eatas bio daath and aends n n nrA era
= the repose of ona Of the noblest sou